"Out of my way," I hissed, trying to move forward along the busy sidewalk.
I am not one who surrenders to anger easily, but soaring summer temperatures in particular have a way of heightening my sense of irritability.
kAm|J @FE3FCDE 76== FA@? 5627 62CD \ x H2D[ 27E6C 2==[ 5:C64E:?8 >J H@C5D E@ 2 EC2D9 42? \ 3FE DF556?=J x C64@8?:K65 x H2D F?FDF2==J 9@E F?56C E96 4@==2C]k^Am
kAm%96D6 52JD[ E96 H@C5 Q9@EQ 2?5 2 A=6E9@C2 @7 962E\C6=2E65 E96>6D @7E6? 2AA62C E@ 4@??@E6 D@>6E9:?8 \ @C D@>6@?6 \ 8@@5] p? 2EEC24E:G6 2?5 :?E6C24E:G6 A6CD@? :D 56D4C:365 2D QE@E2==J 9@EQ @C 566>65 2 Q9@EE:6[Q H9:=6 D@>6@?6 H9@ 92D 72==6? @FE @7 72G@C @C H9@ D66>D @77\AFEE:?8 :D D2:5 E@ 36 Q4@=5 2D :46Q @C Q8:G:?8 E96 4@=5 D9@F=56C]Qk^Am
kAmqFE E96D6 4@?46AED 8:G6 C:D6 E@ 4@?7FD:@?] x7 766=:?8D 23@FE D@>6@?6 @C D@>6E9:?8 2C6 Q=F<6H2C>[Q E96 D6?E:>6?ED 2C6 566>65 DF3A2C] qFE E@ FD6 E96 =236= Q4@@=Q :D E@ 36DE@H 2 D6?D6 @7 8C62E?6DD]k^Am
kAm%92E 92G:?8 366? D2:5[ H96? E96C>@>6E6CD :? >J G:4:?:EJ C646?E=J 4C24<65 :?E@ E96 EC:A=6 5:8:ED x H2?E65 E@ 36 4@@= \ =:E6C2==J 2?5 7:8FC2E:G6=J] x =@?865 7@C E96 A=62D2?E @462? 3C66K6 @? E96 }@CE9 r@2DE[ E96 >:?EJ 7C6D9 3C62E9 @7 E96 r@=F>3:2 #:G6CVD >@FE9] x?DE625 x H2D 8:G:?8 EC2D9 42?D E96 4@=5 D9@F=56C 2?5 x H2D 24E:?8 9@E 2?5 3@E96C65]k^Am
kAmx H@?56C65 9@H =@?8 E9:D AC6DDFC6 4@@<6C 766=:?8 4@F=5 4@?E:?F6] r@F=5 x[ :? 724E[ E2<6 E96 962Enk^Am
kAms@?VE 86E >6 HC@?8] x 6?;@J C62D@?23=J 9@E 52JD[ E96 C67=64E:@? @7 DF? C2JD[ 32D<:?8 2D =:89E 2?5 H2C>E9 42DE 2H2J E96 8C2J @7 >2?J 2 4=@F5J 52J]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ x 5C2H 2 =:?6 D@>6H96C6 36EH66? Q7F? :? E96 DF?Q 2?5 QE:>6 E@ 42== 2? 2>3F=2?46]Q x 7:?5 2? :>A@CE2?E 5:776C6?46 36EH66? QDF??J D:KK=:?V D6?D2E:@?DQ 2?5 Q>J 3=@@5 :D D@ 9@E H6 4@F=5 8C:== D2=>@? DE62<D @? >J 7@C69625]Qk^Am
kAmx 2> 3J ?@ >62?D 2=@?6 :? 5C2H:?8 E9:D =:?6[ 2?5 >:D6CJ =@G6D 4@>A2?J] (96? >@C6 E92? 2? 9@FC A2DD65 2D x H2?56C65 E96 2:D=6D 2E E96 ?6:893@C9@@5 G:56@ DE@C6[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ x C62=:K65 x H2D A2CE @7 2 4C@H5 ?@E =:?86C:?8 3642FD6 @7 8@@5 >FD:4 7C@> 2 4@?46CE 7:=> 3FE 3642FD6 E96 A=246 925 C62==J 5646?E 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8] Q(6 D9@F=5 DE2J 96C6 2== 52J[Q 2?@E96C 4FDE@>6C 49:>65]k^Am
kAmr=62C=J[ H6 H6C6 @? E@ D@>6E9:?8] qFE 3642FD6 =@:E6C:?8 92D :ED =:>:ED 2?5 x 2> DJ>A2E96E:4 E@ E96 C6>2C<23=6 =:>:ED @7 A2E:6?46 2>@?8 G:56@ DE@C6 >2?286CD[ x 564:565 2 36EE6C A=2? H2D E@ 4@?D:56C @E96C DEC2E68:6D 2?5 E:AD[ >@C6 H2JD E@ 2G@:5 56762E 2?5 362E E96 962Eik^Am
kAms~}V% E9:?< 7@C 2 >:?FE6 E92E J@F 42? =:E6C2==J 362E E96 962E[ FD:?8 DE:4<D[ 92>>6CD @C J@FC 4=6?4965 7:DED] !9JD:42= 6I6CE:@? H:== @?=J 7665 E96 6G:= A@H6CD @7 962E[ DEC6?8E96?:?8 E96 7@C46D J@F \ D@CE @7 =:<6 2 ADJ49@E:4 E26 <H@? 5@ :?DECF4E@C]k^Am
kAms~ C6=J @? >@C6 DF3E=6 >6E9@5D E@ 7@:= E9:D 7@6] Qu:89E 7:C6 H:E9 7:C6Q ?@E 3J EFC?:?8 @? J@FC 9@FD69@=5 7FC?246 2?5 4C2?<:?8 FA J@FC @G6? E@ 6?5 :E 2== :? 2 42E24=JD>:4 3=2K6 @7 8=@CJ[ 3FE 3J FD:?8 J@FC 7:6CJ :>28:?2E:@? E@ DA2C< F?6IA64E65 D@=FE:@?D] p82:?DE 962EVD 24E:@?[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ ECJ 2? 6BF2= 2>@F?E @7 :?24E:@?] w6C6VD J@FC 492?46 E@ 36 2 =2KJ D=@3 H:E9 :>AF?:EJ] v@E A=246D E@ 8@[ A6@A=6 E@ D66n }@A6] %CJ 2 ?:46 D=:46 @7 =6E92C8J] %2<6 :E 62DJ] *@FC 3@5J :D F?56C 2 D:686 @7 9:89 E6>A6C2EFC6D[ D2G6 J@FC C6D@FC46D] (96? 962E 8:G6D J@F 2? 6I4FD6 E@ AC@4C2DE:?2E6[ A6D<J 9@FD69@=5 49@C6D ;FDE >6=E 2H2J]k^Am
kAms~ 4@?D:56C @=5\72D9:@?65 25G:46] sC:?< 4@A:@FD 2>@F?ED @7 H2E6C] (62C 2>A=6 DF? 3=@4<] p?5 D@ H92E :7 E96 =2DE E:>6 J@F EFC?65 2 82C56? DAC:?<=6C @? J@FCD6=7 H2D H96? J@F H6C6 `an %:>6 E@ 7:?5 E92E Q$=:A ?V $=:56]Qk^Am
kAms~}V% D:E @? =62E96C 4@F496D] pG@:5 E9:D 2?5 @E96C DE:4<J D:EF2E:@?D]k^Am
kAms~ 8@ E@ 2:C\4@?5:E:@?65 A=246D[ 32D6>6?ED[ D925J DA@ED 2?5 DH:>>:?8 A@@=D]k^Am
kAms~}V% 42G6 :? E@ E96 E6>AE2E:@?D E@ ECJ @? 7=6646 ;F>ADF:ED[ H@@= 8=@G6D 2?5 H:?E6C 3@@ED] %96 G@:46 E6==:?8 J@F E@ 5@ :D E92E @7 962E 56=:C:F> W@C 2 D25:DE:4 7C:6?5X] $F>>6C 4=@E9:?8 D9@F=5 36 =:89E[ =@@D6 2?5 AC24E:42=] $H62E :D E96C6 E@ 96=A J@F[ D@ 5@?VE 4@?7:?6 :E \ 96=A :E 5@ :ED ;@3] rFE 9@=6D :? J@FC D9@6D 2?5 H2=< :? AF55=6D]k^Am
kAms~ H62C D@>6 4=@E9:?8[ 2E =62DE[ :7 J@F 2C6 :? AF3=:4 \ 2?5 6DA64:2==J :7 J@F 2C6 3:4J4=:?8 @C 92G6 F?D:89E=J 3@5J 92:C]k^Am
kAms~}V% 56G6=@A 2 5:23@=:42= 4@=5 C2J[ H62E96C >2?:AF=2E@C @C C@3@E 2C>J E@ 3C:?8 J@F :46 7C@> E96 pC4E:4 2?5 p?E2C4E:4 C68:@?D @7 62CE9] %9:D H@F=5 @?=J A@=2C:K6 A6@A=6 282:?DE J@F]k^Am
kAms~ 367C:6?5 2?5 C64CF:E E96 p3@>:?23=6 $?@H>2? E@ =6?5 2 92?5 W@C 4=2HX :7 J@F A@DD6DD E96 23:=:EJ E@ DA62< *6E:]k^Am
kAms~}V% E2=< H:E9 J@FC >@FE9 7F==]k^Am
kAms~ 4@?DF>6 :46 4C62> 2?5 !@AD:4=6D]k^Am
kAms~}V% E9:?< 362E:?8 E96 962E >62?D ECJ:?8 E@ 42== :ED 3=F77] !=2J :E 4@@=] xEVD J@FC 49@:46 \ D9@H 2 DEC@<6 @7 86?:FD @C 92G6 2 962E DEC@<6] x? @E96C H@C5D[ :7 J@F 7:?5 J@FCD6=7 D@ @G6C962E65 J@F 2C6 56>2?5:?8 EC2D9 42?D E@ >@G6 @FE @7 J@FC H2J[ ;FDE 49:==]k^Am
kAmqC25 q@=49F?@D H2D 23@FE E@ DF886DE 2?@E96C H2J E@ 4@@= @77 :CC:E23=6 A6@A=6 :D E@ E6== E96> E@ 8@ ;F>A :? 2 =2<6[ 3FE 96 H@F=5?VE H2?E E96> E@ 86E DE62>65]k^Am
